Marines Deploy to Caribbean: Skepticism, War on Drugs Concerns, and Potential for Escalation
Thousands of sailors and Marines from the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed from Naval Station Norfolk on Friday. The deployment, comprised of over 4,500 personnel and three ships, is heading to the southern Caribbean to support anti-drug trafficking operations, according to defense officials. This deployment is part of a broader repositioning of air and naval forces in the region, with the potential for military action against designated foreign terrorist organizations. This marks the first amphibious ready group deployment with embarked Marines since December.
John Q. Hosedrinker